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Smaller firm, work your ass off, then lateral up
I’m in IP. I think about the same. Your first year you’re really just learning the ropes. Second year you’re able to float a bit more and anticipate needs on a case and start making recommendations. Obviously, I’m not sure what your background is. If you’ve worked in law before prior to going to law school, your first two years may look a lot different. Another thing to note is that you really don’t want to be a floater. 2-3 years at one location fresh out is a good amount of time. Plus, it will give you time to also learn the market and figure out where you’d want to lateral
Network! And apply constantly. If they’re in dire need of an Atty they go to the resumes they already have on file and they may less ‘picky’ if they need the manpower. ( although I don’t know why you’d want the biglaw life I’m there now and I’m looking for a good way out. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side)
Other side of the coin: how does one break OUT of BigLaw? Asking for a friend.
LMAOOOO 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Be number 1 in your graduating class
Depends how far below T1 you are. If at a T2 school, you def don’t need to be first in your class. Top 30% + journal gives you a good chance (assuming “big Law” = at least Vault 50).
A clerkship, law review, moot court, networking
A ski mask and a lockpocking kit
Do your best in school, maintain good relationships with your peers and mentors, get whatever small or mid firm job you can after graduating and then lateral a couple years in. I went to a T30 school, got no offers through OCI, worked at a tiny firm for 2+ years and then had 3 different biglaw offers when I lateraled. Not going T-14 doesn’t mean your SOL.
If “breaking into biglaw” was a coherent goal the above advice would be sound. But there are too many manifestations of biglaw for the question to make sense. Where do you want to live? What kind of work do you want to do? Where is your law school in relation to where you want to work. Biglaw Boston (eg WilmerHale, Ropes) hires students from local law schools other than HLS, but might be less inclined to hire similarly qualified students from similarly ranked law schools outside Boston. Same with biglaw DC and biglaw NY. That is, unless you want to go so the smallest of biglaw firms, Wachtell, which hires most of its associates from Harvard, Yale and Stanford, and a few from a few other schools. Then there are extremely influential boutiques like Bartlit Beck, which has offices only in Chicago and Denver and more or less hires only former Supreme Court clerks. So, where do you want to work and what do you want to do?
Biggest thing is networking. Is your goal just biglaw period, or biglaw in a specific practice group? It’s easier to lateral into biglaw if you practice in a niche area. Besides just networking, keep applying; you never know when a firm is looking for someone with your experience.
Agreed with associate 14 on both counts. I got my position in big law based on experience in a niche area (and really my interest in it) and an insane amount of networking. Mediocre school and grades. If you have specific firms in mind to target in your area you can pinpoint what niche practices they have. Transportation is another one I can think of to add to 14’s list
There are a massive amount of lawyers in biglaw who went to non-T14 schools. A massive amount probably half or more if you include all AmLaw 100.
Or do fed clerkship after working
I did it. T3 school, v10 firm. You need to network like crazy with senior and mid level associates. Everyone seems to make the mistake of networking with junior associates who have no pull. Have top grades. Be involved in school. Have a good, prepared answer for why you chose your school that doesn’t make you sound like a jerk.
Find a big law office near you. Go there at 3 am, bring a crowbar. Break in.
My firm (NYC, v50) hired a half dozen recent graduates from fairly unimpressive schools (ranked 60+) this past spring. If hiring needs change after 3L OCI, most T14 students are already spoken for and firms will look elsewhere. And that doesn’t include the ~10 other non-T14 students in my summer class.
Sounds like you’re considering Big Law to be only “V20”+. Plenty of folks from state schools go into big law. Be a good student, get involved, write well, and be personable. You might not hit a super top firm in NYC, but you can get a position just fine at a big firm.
Find something niche and focus in it. For me it was intellectual property litigation
Just do better in undergrad and go T14.
Retake the LSAT.
(Offered sardonically only because there are plenty of real answers in this thread)
Also, you don’t even need to network, just use a recruiter
Try on your own first. We (V25) rarely hire associates through recruiters due to the cost. Use a recruiter as a last resort.
Find out where the partners and attorneys party and make friends with them